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BBC
Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves, 26, is not expected to leave Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal in January amid links with Newcastle United. (The Athletic - subscription required)
Bernardo Silva has hinted he could try to persuade 19-year-old compatriot Joao Neves to join Manchester City despite Manchester United's interest in the Benfica midfielder. (MEN)
City's Portugal midfielder Silva, 29, says he would like to return to play for Benfica before he finishes his career. (CNN, via TalkSport)
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will not let French centre-back Raphael Varane, 30, leave the club until the summer transfer window. (Sun)
Juventus are hopeful that 23-year-old Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic will agree to sign a contract extension at the club despite interest from Arsenal and Manchester United. (90min)
Chelsea are hoping they will be able to sell Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku next summer, with Roma keen to make the 30-year-old's loan move permanent. (Evening Standard)
France forward Antoine Griezmann will not be joining Manchester United and the 32-year-old's only focus is Atletico Madrid. (Fabrizio Romano)
Fulham will let Portugal midfielder Joao Palhinha, 28, leave to join Bayern Munich in January for less than the 60-65m euros (£52m-£56m) the club originally wanted. (Florian Plettenberg, Sky Germany)
Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea has made it clear he does not want to join a Saudi Pro League club but the 33-year-old could move to Major League Soccer in 2024. (90min)
Bayern Munich are pushing to sign Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu next summer but Arsenal do not want to let the 25-year-old go. (Florian Plettenberg, Sky Germany)
The delay of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's proposed minority takeover at Manchester United has increased fears at Old Trafford that the club's January transfer plans could be ruined. (Mirror)
Some Manchester United players believe the team's poor start to the season was caused by manager Erik ten Hag overworking the squad in pre-season. (Guardian)
Liverpool's Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara, 32, is among the options Barcelona could consider as they look to replace injured 19-year-old Spain international Gavi. (90min)
Tottenham's Argentina midfielder Giovani lo Celso, 27, has also emerged as a loan option for Barcelona, who are unlikely to look for a permanent replacement for Gavi despite receiving up to £6m in compensation from Fifa following his injury on international duty. (Mail)
Arsenal could allow Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira, 23, to join French club Marseille on loan. (Mirror)
Juventus and Brazil centre-back Gleison Bremer, 26, says he is keen to play in the Premier League. (Telegraph - subscription required)
The FA says it is prepared to review evidence of potentially serious breaches of agent rules in a transfer involving Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth and Jermain Defoe. (Times - subscription required)
Liverpool are leading the push for the Premier League to resolve Manchester City's financial fair play case. (Football Insider)
Sky Paper Talk
DAILY MIRROR
Ruben Neves has no interest in returning to the Premier League in the January transfer window despite interest from Arsenal and Newcastle.
John Barnes has launched a strong defence of Jordan Henderson's Saudi Arabia move insisting footballers shouldn't be judged any different from other sports stars.
Wrexham have been urged to sign Billy Sharp - despite the Championship icon's heated row with the Welsh club in February.
England have qualified top of their group for Euro 2024, but Gareth Southgate's side could still be handed a difficult draw for next year's tournament.
Bernardo Silva has admitted he would "put a wedge in" for Manchester City to sign Joao Neves as the latter continues to be linked with a move to Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at Fabio Paim after the former Sporting CP academy starlet claimed the multi-time Ballon d'Or winner should give him one of his trophies.
Harry Maguire has urged the Premier League to sort out the "ridiculous" mess over penalties.
Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho will not agree to join a club in Saudi Arabia once the transfer window reopens in January.
THE TIMES
The FA has said it is prepared to review evidence of potentially serious breaches of agent rules in a transfer involving Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth and Jermain Defoe.
Richard Cockerill has been sacked as Montpellier head coach after seven matches in charge.
Wayne Barnes, the Rugby World Cup final referee, has suggested introducing a shot clock that would force teams to take a lineout within 20 seconds.
The same independent commission that imposed a 10-point deduction on Everton will also decide if other clubs should receive tens of millions of pounds in compensation for financial damages connected to the case.
Tom Curry will miss the rest of the season as he requires significant surgery on his hip in a big blow to England and Sale Sharks.
Plans for the largest expansion in Wimbledon history now rest on the decision of the mayor of London after Wandsworth council unanimously refused the application to build 39 new grass courts, including an 8,000-seat stadium.
Antoine Dupont has revealed that his move to sevens has been in the pipeline "for a few months" and said the "mythical" appeal of the Olympics persuaded him to sacrifice playing in the Six Nations.
DAILY MAIL
After a hugely emotional win over Brazil that followed fan violence with police, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni admitted he was pondering his future with the national team.
THE SUN
Raphael Varane is set to leave Manchester United - but it won't be until the summer.
A North Korean star has reappeared three years after making his last appearance.
Manchester United and Chelsea have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Roony Bardghji.
Roberto De Zerbi has reportedly been approached to takeover as Real Madrid manager.
Marseille are reportedly lining up a move to sign Arsenal star Fabio Vieira.
Barcelona are eyeing Tottenham ace Giovani Lo Celso as Gavi's replacement ahead of the January transfer window, reports suggest.
The BBC are in danger of losing the rights to show the Six Nations.
An Indian cricket fan has tragically died aged 35 after suffering a heart attack shortly after Sunday's World Cup final.
DAILY EXPRESS
David De Gea reportedly has no intention of moving to Saudi Arabia, but would be open to heading to the MLS if an opportunity arose.
Fulham have been pegged back in their pursuit of Brazilian midfielder Andre, with Fluminense set to demand at least £30m for his signature.
Tottenham are among a host of top teams keeping tabs on Atalanta youngster Giorgio Scalvini.
Chelsea have a gentleman's agreement with Romelu Lukaku that he can leave Stamford Bridge for £35m.
A quarter of football fans reckon they have an "encyclopaedic" knowledge of the game - and can reel off facts about club history, stadiums, and pundits.
Gareth Southgate plans to avoid another Baden-Baden by tucking his England players away from the public gaze in Germany.
EVENING STANDARD
Christopher Nkunku is closing in on his Chelsea debut after missing the start of the season due to a knee injury.
Arsenal have already secured the future of viral sensation Chido Obi-Martin.
Kai Havertz says he is "happy" at Arsenal following a divisive £65m from Chelsea.
THE GUARDIAN
A section of Manchester United players believe the team's poor start is down to Erik ten Hag overworking the squad in pre-season.
THE ATHLETIC
Kristoffer Ajer has penned a new contract at Brentford through to the summer of 2028.
A knee injury suffered by Michail Antonio is not as serious as initially feared, with the West Ham United striker expected to return within a month.
DAILY RECORD
Anxious Scottish football bosses are to draw up battle plans to boot pyrotechnics out of the game amid growing safety fears for fans and players.
Victor Osimhen would probably pick Chelsea over Tottenham if he were to leave Napoli.
Rangers youngster Ross McCausland is reportedly garnering interest from Serie A.
Ryan Kent looks set to be allowed to leave Fenerbahce on loan in January only six months after joining - but it doesn't appear he will be back at Rangers.
SCOTTISH SUN
Celtic are on the trail of South African wonderkid Luke Baartman.
Ridvan Yilmaz is weighing up his future at Rangers, according to a report.
Rangers are keen to tie down breakout star Ross McCausland to a new contract.
Kevin Van Veen has opened the door for a sensational return to Scotland and revealed Rangers were interested in him before his £500,000 summer switch to Groningen.
Yuki Kobayashi is a target for several J.League clubs as he prepares to return to Japan in January.
The Athletic
With Antonio, Bowen and Kudus injured, what are West Ham’s striker options for Burnley?
By Roshane Thomas
It has been an international break to forget for West Ham following injuries to Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus.
Antonio will be sidelined for two to three weeks with a knee problem.
Despite fears of a ruptured medial ligament, scans have revealed the 33-year-old had only suffered a strain when he went off in Jamaica’s 2-1 loss to visitors Canada in the first leg of a CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final on Saturday. It was a tackle in the sixth minute by defender Sam Adekugbe which caused the injury; Antonio played on until the 21st minute before being substituted.
This will be a blow for West Ham manager David Moyes because Antonio is his first choice to spearhead their attack.
The striker, who had interest from Saudi Arabian clubs Al Ettifaq, Damac and Al Riyadh in the summer, started the season well, scoring in back-to-back league games against Chelsea and Brighton in August. Despite his form tailing off, with a return of those two goals across 14 appearances in all competitions, he remained an ever-present in the Premier League.
So who should start away against Burnley on Saturday when the club season resumes?
Bowen would have been the alternative option as a lone striker, but he suffered a minor knee injury in training on international duty with England. It is not thought to be serious, but Bowen, who has nine goals and three assists in 16 appearances this season, is a doubt to play at Turf Moor.
To compound matters, Kudus — Moyes’ other attacking option — is also a fitness concern.
The versatile summer signing has picked up a back injury while away with Ghana and missed Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier away against Comoros. Kudus is a key player for West Ham already, having registered four goals in 15 appearances for his new club. Similar to Bowen, he can operate as a lone striker having played that role for Danish side Nordsjaelland before a 2020 move to Ajax.
Should injury rule out Bowen and Kudus as well as Antonio, then Divin Mubama and Danny Ings will be left as the recognised forwards.
Mubama is yet to play in the Premier League this season despite having a promising pre-season in Australia this summer. The now 19-year-old scored against Perth Glory and Tottenham Hotspur and was praised by first-team coach Billy McKinlay.
The Athletic reported Mubama has rejected a contract extension as he enters the final year of the deal he signed in October 2021, which does not include a one-year option. With discussions ongoing, this injury to Antonio could present an opportunity for him. But Moyes has been cautious this season about integrating Mubama into the starting XI. The England Under-20 international has only played 26 minutes of first-team football so far in three substitute appearances in Europe and the Carabao Cup under the Scot, who still hopes he will commit his long-term future to the club.
Mubama made six senior appearances last season, became West Ham’s youngest first-team scorer (18 years, four months and 19 days) since Freddie Sears in 2008 against AEK Larnaca in the Europa Conference League’s round of 16, and was voted the club’s young player of the year. He had loan interest from Championship clubs in the summer, but with West Ham failing to sign a new striker, they decided to keep him. But Mubama has been an unused substitute in seven Premier League games this term and was not in the matchday squad for the 3-2 win against Nottingham Forest in the final fixture before this international break.
The club’s second-choice forward after Antonio is Ings, who has struggled since joining in January for £15million from Aston Villa.
The 31-year-old former England international has not been able to settle into Moyes’ preferred 4-2-3-1 system and his most recent Premier League goal for West Ham was in February. Lacking the pace of the club’s other lone striker options, he did not impress this season in Europa League starts against TSC Backa Topola and Olympiacos and was taunted by fans of third-tier opponents Lincoln City after missing a straightforward chance in September’s Carabao Cup tie.
That moment summed up Ings’ underwhelming first eight months at West Ham. Although the former Burnley, Liverpool and Southampton forward has been Moyes’ preferred attacking option off the bench, he has made little impact when he has got on the pitch.
West Ham have eight matches in December across three competitions, so Ings will see action if fit, but time is running out for him to create a lasting impression.
One player who has shown improvement is Tomas Soucek, who signed a new four-year contract in August and got the winner last time out against Forest. If the injuries to Kudus and Bowen are worse than initially feared, Moyes could deploy the 6ft 3in (192cm) midfielder up front. It is a role he has already played briefly and was his position in his academy days at Slavia Prague.
The 28-year-old has five club goals across 17 appearances this season, already beating his three-goal total from 2022-23. And he scored more during this international break, in European Championship qualifiers against Poland and Moldova, to help the Czech Republic book their place in next summer’s tournament.
There are also similarities between the heading abilities of Antonio and Soucek and when Soucek first joined the club from Slavia in January 2020, his quality with the ball in the air led to comparisons with Marouane Fellaini, the goalscoring Belgium midfielder Moyes managed at both Everton and Manchester United.
Another option is Maxwel Cornet, but he has only played one minute of league football this season and that was in the opening match against Bournemouth back in August.
Cornet has been an unused substitute eight times since and was not in the matchday squad for the games against Manchester City, Villa and Forest. The versatile 27-year-old can play at left-back, across both flanks and as a forward, but he has struggled with game time since a transfer from Burnley after their relegation from the Premier League in the summer of 2022. He has only started one of West Ham’s past 15 league matches, against Brentford in May.
Antonio has been Moyes’ go-to option when searching for his successor in the transfer market has proved fruitless.
Moyes is aware he will eventually have to plan for life without the forward, who will be 34 by season’s end — and the next three weeks will be a dress rehearsal for a post-Antonio future at the London Stadium.
TBR
David Moyes calls up ‘impressive’ 17-year-old to West Ham training
West Ham United boss David Moyes has been putting his players through their paces ahead of the Hammers’ return to Premier League action.
With the international break only just coming to an end, the West Ham manager has been working with those who haven’t been representing their countries.
On Tuesday, the Hammers media team posted a video on YouTube of the players in training at Rush Green, and one of the academy stars was seen in action.
At around 4 minutes 40 seconds in, Lewis Orford can be seen in a shooting drill, scoring with a neat effort from just outside the box.
The 17-year-old is one of the most impressive talents to emerge from the West Ham academy in recent years.
West Ham ace ‘performing to a high level’
Orford, a lifelong West Ham fan, joined the Chadwell Heath setup aged five and has risen through the ranks to become a potential future star.
Despite his young age, he’s already looking a cut above for the Under-21s. He has two goals and four assists from 10 outings in the Premier League 2 and EFL Trophy this term.
Orford signed his first professional contract with West Ham in February, just days after his 17th birthday.
Interim Academy Manager Kenny Brown told the Hammers website at the time: “Everyone at West Ham United is delighted to see Lewis sign his first professional contract with the club.
“Lewis has been with the academy since he was five-years-old and this news will make many people very happy.
“His development over this period has been impressive and he is now performing to a high level with the U18s and U21s.
“Everyone at Chadwell Heath and Rush Green is excited to watch Lewis continue his development over the coming months and years.”
Orford is certainly on the right track in terms of his development, already training with the seniors. It’ll be exciting to see how he continues to progress in the coming years.
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